Department for Transport

Low Emission Zones

viscount simon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they provide guidance to local authorities on ultra low emission zones.

baroness sugg: Local authorities already have existing powers under the Transport Act 2000 to implement Clean Air Zones. The Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Framework sets out the principles for the operation of Clean Air Zones in England. It provides the expected approach to be taken by local authorities when implementing and operating a Clean Air Zone. The full guide provided to local authorities is attached and has been placed in both the Libraries of the House.



Clean Air Zone Framework
(PDF Document, 572.54 KB)

Low Emission Zones

viscount simon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in relation to ultra low emission zones, they consider motorcycles and other two-wheel motorised vehicles separately from cars.

baroness sugg: As outlined within the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Framework, motorcycles and mopeds are not routinely included under any category for a charging Zone. Local authorities may choose to include them under a class D CAZ, which charges buses, coaches, taxis, PHVs, HGVs LGVs and cars. The full guide provided to local authorities is attached.



Clean Air Zone Framework
(PDF Document, 572.54 KB)

Motorcycles

viscount simon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of motorcycles and other two-wheel motorised vehicles for reducing congestion and pollution.

baroness sugg: The Government has not carried out any detailed assessment on the use of motorcycles and other two-wheel motorised vehicles for reducing congestion and pollution and there are no plans to promote motorcycles as a means to reduce congestion.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Bombardier: USA

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has raised the issue of exceptional tariffs being imposed on Bombardier aircraft by the government of the United States, with President Trump; and if so, when.

lord henley: Since the outset of this investigation the Government robustly defended UK interests. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister raised this issue with President Trump a number of times, most recently in Davos last week. We are therefore pleased that the US ITC found in favour of Bombardier and ruled that there is no injury to the US aerospace industry.

Construction: Females

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toencourage the creation ofjobs for women in the construction industry.

lord henley: The Government is committed to supporting the construction sector to increase the gender diversity of its workforce. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has taken practical steps by developing a ‘Be Fair’ framework, including freely available fairness and inclusion training modules for construction firms. In addition, CITB’s careers hub, ‘Go Construct’, provides online guidance and case studies for prospective employees - and employers - on a range of diversity topics, including gender. Nevertheless, more work is needed to improve the diversity of the construction sector. We are engaging with the industry as to how further improvements can best be achieved and we expect to see this agenda being driven forward through the Sector Deal for construction that was announced in our Industrial Strategy White Paper on 27 November.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to take a decision on whether to proceed with the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project; what factors they will take into account in taking that decision; and what further evidence they require to allow them to do so.

lord henley: In coming to any decision on the role of tidal lagoons in the UK’s energy mix, the Government needs to consider how this technology delivers against its priorities, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy and Industrial Strategy, of reducing emissions and protecting UK businesses and households from high energy costs. This will ensure that the Government response to the Hendry Review takes into account the best interests of the UK as a whole and represents value for money for the UK taxpayer and the consumer. A Government response to the Hendry Review will be published in due course.

Insolvency Service

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henleyon 25 January (HL4836), how many Insolvency Service reports have been published since January 2015; and how many reports have been completed and not published since that date.

lord henley: Following its investigation of a director’s conduct the Insolvency Service does not prepare or publish specific reports. It will put any allegations of misconduct to the directors and seek their explanation. Should the case go to Court, the matter would be prepared as a court affidavit.Following disqualification, the Insolvency Service publishes a summary of the misconduct online in every case.

Energy: UK Trade with EU

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to diminish the impact of Brexit on energy tradingfollowing thereport of the European Union Committee,Brexit: energy security (HL Paper 63, 10th Report, 2017–19) published on 29January.

lord henley: The UK Government is considering the report of the European Union Committee on Brexit and energy security published on 29 January and will respond shortly.The Government is currently considering all aspects of its future relationship with the EU, including in energy. Our priority is to maintain affordable, clean and secure energy supplies for businesses and households.

Global Challenges Research Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Global Challenges Research Fund is spent on (1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) population issues, in the developing world.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what countries receive Official Development Assistance through the Global Challenges Research Fund.

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy budget is spent on (1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) population issues, in the developing world.

lord henley: The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) mainly supports projects where the benefits are to multiple countries. In 2016, the latest date for which figures are available, 92.4% of GCRF spend was reported as non-country specific ODA spend with no single benefitting country. Of the remaining 7.6%, the highest spend was assigned to regional projects in Africa and to Tanzania, Cote D’Ivoire, South Africa, Guatemala and Peru.In 2016, 12% of GCRF spend was categorised as “Medical Research”, we do not hold data on subcategories within this area.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Philippines: Press Freedom

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of the Philippines following reports by the International Federation of Journalists of the assassinations of 146 journalists since 1986; and in particular, whether they intend to ask how many persons have been brought to justice for these crimes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK Government's view on the importance of the rule of law is clear, consistent and well known in the Philippines. We have repeatedly called on the Government of the Philippines to ensure thorough and independent investigations into violent deaths, including those of journalists, and to commit to bring to justice those responsible. We are urgently examining reports by the International Federation of Journalists. We continue to make representations to the Government of the Philippines about threats to human rights defenders, calling for the adoption of a charter for their recognition and protection.

Turkey: Press Freedom

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gul were released from custody, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Turkey; and whether they are making representations to the government of Turkey, following a similar ruling by the same Court on 11 January, concerning Mehmet Altan and Sahin Alpay.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Can Dundar and Erdem Gul were released from custody following a Constitutional Court decision and remain free pending an appeal against their conviction. We are following the case of Mehmet Altan and Sahin Alpay closely and will be looking for opportunities to raise the issue with the Turkish government, following the overturning of the Constitutional Court's decision of 11 January. We will also be coordinating further action, including in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, with our EU partners.

Turkey: Syria

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are supporting the request of France for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss attacks by Turkey on Afrin Canton in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The situation in Afrin was discussed in the UN Security Council on Syria on 22 January. The UK recognised Turkey's legitimate interest in securing its border and underlined the need to reduce tensions and seek to protect civilians. The UK is committed to working closely with Turkey and other allies to find solutions in Syria that provide stability, refrain from escalating the situation and protect Turkey's security interests.

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel in respect of the demolition of internationally funded buildings and equipment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We repeatedly make clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concerns about continued demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property, including internationally funded buildings and equipment, and the need to abide by their other obligations under international law. The UK has not directly funded any structures in recent years that have been demolished by the Israeli government. We are keeping the case for compensation under review.

Israel: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to call on the government of Israel to pay compensation to Palestinians whose homes were officially demolished in 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities. The UK is focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our funding to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme, which helps residents to challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the rate of demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem and call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and instead provide a transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Gaza: Economic Situation

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of recent statements by Israeli officials that the economy of Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not made any assessment on this specific issue, we remain deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise the need to make progress towards a durable solution for Gaza, and press for practical steps to advance reconstruction and economic development with both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority (PA). We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel’s long-term interests. We are also encouraging Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing. We welcome the PA's return to Gaza and the agreement to allow the PA to resume administrative control, which we hope will improve both the humanitarian and economic situation.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Public Expenditure

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office budget, if any, originated fromthe Department for International Development.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In 2016, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent 7.2 per cent of the UK’s overseas development assistance. Details are provided in Statistics on International Development 2017, published by the Department for International Development.

Developing Countries: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office budget is spent on (1) family planning, (2) sexual and reproductive health and rights, and (3) population issues, in the developing world.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Data on Foreign and Commonwealth Office spending on these issues is not held centrally, and could only be collected at disproportionate cost.

Attorney General

Law Officers: Disclosure of Information

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 8 January (HL4364), whether there have been instances where the advice of the law officers has been shared with Parliament in the last 30 years.

lord keen of elie: There have been rare instances in the past where a Minister has shared legal advice with Parliament. However, the policy of successive Governments (in line with Constitutional convention) remains that we do not comment on advice that may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, other than in exceptional circumstances and with the Law Officers’ consent.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the deadline of 31 January for the submission of evidence to the Department of Health's formal review of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, having released a list of review questions on 22 December 2017, immediately before an extended holiday period and thus effectively reducing an already short consultation period.

lord o'shaughnessy: The review of ‘The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017’ is not a consultation.However, the Department recognises the need to ensure that sufficient time is provided for both evidence collection and analysis. The end of January deadline was chosen so that the Department could seek to identify the main impacts on vulnerable groups of the amendment regulations as early in the review process as possible. This will allow more time to further explore these impacts with stakeholders, within the timeframe of the review that has been set out.The Department has responded to questions from stakeholders about the deadline by saying ‘we recognise that the end of January deadline may not be possible for all organisations due to the issues you have raised. As we previously stated, we are therefore willing to be flexible on this deadline, so while we would appreciate organisations submitting their responses as soon as possible, we will of course still consider the information in responses that are submitted after that.’ The Department has made it clear that evidence submitted within a timeframe that allows it to be taken into account as part of the review will be considered.The Department has also committed to continue to work with stakeholders to monitor the effects of the charging regulations on vulnerable groups after the review process has concluded. Therefore, if new evidence concerning the impact of the impact of ‘The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) (Amendment) Regulations 2017’ is presented to the Department, after the time at which it can be considered as part of the review process, it will be considered in accordance with the Secretary of State’s ongoing duties. The Department does not see any reason to change the position, outlined above, which has already been communicated to stakeholders.

Benzodiazepines: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whythey do not collect data centrally on benzodiazepine dependence.

lord o'shaughnessy: Accurate data on benzodiazepine dependence is not currently available. The Department has commissioned Public Health England (PHE) to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. As part of this review PHE will attempt to estimate the number of people affected including through prescription data collected by NHS Business Services Authority.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to mandate NHS England to commission services locally for patients who are suffering from the impact of long-term use of dependence forming medicines.

lord o'shaughnessy: Local authorities are supported by Public Health England to develop tailored responses to existing and emerging drug misuse in their area and, in conjunction with the National Health Service, to address specific concerns about addiction to prescribed and over the counter medicines.The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing; the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines; and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication.The Government is currently developing its approach to the mandate to NHS England for 2018-19, in light of the extra £2.8 billion to 2019/20 provided through the Autumn Budget to support the NHS. Both NHS England and Healthwatch England are involved in its development as statutory consultees.

Strokes

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the National Stroke Plan.

lord o'shaughnessy: There has been progress in stroke prevention, care and treatment as a result of the 10 year stroke strategy, which was published in 2007.Building on that success, NHS England has established an expert working group with partners representing patients, carers and stroke professionals and the wider health and social care system. This group is co-chaired by the Stroke Association, and includes the Neurological Alliance, NHS Improvement, the British Association of Stroke Physicians, Public Health England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and Health Education England. The group’s aim is to ensure that this progress is not only maintained but enhanced.Part of this approach has involved bringing together national programmes of work such as NHS RightCare that have a focus on stroke, in order to set ambitions for future improvement summarised into a coherent plan. This is currently under discussion and further engagement with health, social care and voluntary sector partners is underway. The timeline for delivery of any plan will be agreed with the help of the expert working group as the links with related work such as the cardiovascular disease prevention programme become more established.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise awareness amongst GPs of the problems arising for patients suffering from the impact of long-term use of dependence forming medicines.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the training of GPs sufficiently covers the need to avoid prescribing dependence forming medicines for longer than the safe period.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the training of doctors sufficiently covers the need to avoid withdrawing dependence forming medicines too quickly, given the adverse impacts on patients that can occur.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to understand better the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will consider existing evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders, with a view to capturing levels of awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and patients of the issues associated with prescription drug dependence.

Domestic Violence: Injuries

lord mccoll of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to designating facial injuries resulting from domestic violence as a notifiable condition.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Health Service provides care and support to victims of domestic violence and abuse through a range of healthcare and support services relating to physical and mental health needs. Routine enquiry for domestic violence is already in place in maternity and mental health services, to improve earlier disclosure and support people to get the care that they need. Notifiable conditions are often conditions such as contagious diseases and infections, hence facial injuries as a result of domestic violence would not be categorised as such NHS Digital has begun implementation of the Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS). This dataset is currently being rolled out to Type 1 (major) accident and emergency departments during spring 2018 with the aim of capturing improved data around clinical codes. The new variables in ECDS relating to injury are: - Place of injury (e.g. garden, street);- Intent (e.g. accidental, self-inflicted);- Activity status (e.g. working);- Activity (e.g. gardening);- Mechanism (e.g. knife); and- Drug/Alcohol (details of specific drugs taken if known). One of the potential benefits of this would be better information for safeguarding vulnerable patients, including those who have been victims of physical facial injury as a result of domestic violence.

Muscular Dystrophy

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of services to monitor and support patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who are experiencing respiratory decline.

lord o'shaughnessy: No specific assessment has been made. NHS England commissions specialised neurological services from 24 centres at a national level, including some services for patients with neuromuscular disorder such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Two service specifications, one for adults and one for children, have been developed by NHS England to set out what these providers must have in place to deliver high quality neurological and neuromuscular care. A requirement for neuromuscular services is that patient clinics ensure they identify those at risk of respiratory problems and refer them for specialist respiratory assessment and monitoring. The specifications set out the breadth of these services and the objectives for their delivery, including clinical assessment and monitoring in respiratory care and respiratory failure. Copies of 2013/14 NHS Standard Contract for Neurosciences: Specialised Neurology (Adult) and 2013/14 NHS Standard Contract for Paediatric Neurosciences: Neurology are attached.



Adult Service Specification
(PDF Document, 326.9 KB)




Paediatric Service Specification
(PDF Document, 233.26 KB)

Orphan Drugs

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many treatments with an orphan designation have been subject to a Highly Specialised Technology evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence since 2013; what was the recommendation for each assessment; and what was the estimated populated size for each treatment.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has evaluated six treatments with an orphan designation through its Highly Specialised Technology (HST) programme since 2013. The table below details the guidance, patient population size and the recommendation for each evaluation.GuidanceEstimated patient populationRecommendedAsfotase alfa for treating paediatric-onset hypophosphatasiaNot knownYesEliglustat for treating type 1 Gaucher disease50 to 100Yes - for long-term treatment in adults who are cytochrome P450 2D6 poor, intermediate or extensive metabolisers.Migalastat for treating Fabry disease142Yes – for people over 16 years of age with an amenable mutation, only if migalastat is provided with the discount agreed in the patient access scheme, and only if enzyme replacement therapy would otherwise be offered.Ataluren for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy with a nonsense mutation in the dystrophin geneNot knownYesElosulfase alfa for treating mucopolysaccharidosis type Iva74-77YesEculizumab for treating atypical haemolytic uraemic syndromeNot knownYes

European Medicines Agency

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the European Medicines Agency relocating to the Netherlands; and how many jobs they estimate will be lost as a result.

lord o'shaughnessy: We recognise the important role that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) plays in the protection of human and animal health. In the negotiations the Government will discuss with the European Union and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of medicines regulation in the best interests of both the United Kingdom and the EU. The UK is fully committed to continuing the close working relationship with our European partners. Our aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and sharing of data. As the Prime Minister has stated, we want deep, broad and dynamic co-operation and in this context, the UK would like to find a way to continue to collaborate with the EU, in the interests of public health and safety. The UK life sciences sector is not just built on the location of the EMA. The UK has a world class research base, universities and businesses that mean the UK life sciences will continue to thrive. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has made no assessment of the number of potential job losses as a result of the EMA relocating to the Netherlands.

Radioisotopes

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 18 January (HL4659), whether, after exit from the EU, the licensing regime for medical isotopes will be the responsibility of theMedicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) even where those isotopes are manufactured outside the UK; and if so, how the MHRA will ensure the safety of manufacture outside the Euratom framework.

lord o'shaughnessy: Medical isotopes may be either medicinal products or medical devices regulated according to the appropriate legislation. The system of regulation after exiting the European Union depends on agreements reached as part of current negotiations, however, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will continue to be responsible for the regulation of such products placed on the market in the United Kingdom.Medical isotopes or radiopharmaceuticals that are medicinal products are regulated in accordance with the laws applicable to all medicines. Currently there are products regulated nationally by national competent authorities (such as MHRA) or centrally by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). National competent authorities have a shared role in the licencing of centrally authorised products.If required as a result of the terms of the EU exit, the MHRA will regulate products licenced nationally and those that would have been authorised via the centralised route including verification of compliance with good manufacturing practice.Currently medical isotopes that are medical devices are regulated in accordance with the laws applicable to medical devices implementing directives 93/42/EEC, 98/79/EC and 90/385/EEC.The three directives do refer to EURATOM requirements but these aspects are covered in the UK by other organisations such as the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency under the relevant UK legislation.The new European medical device regulations (2017/745 and 2017/746) are in force and are due to apply from May 2020 for medical devices and May 2022 for In Vitro Diagnostic medical devices. Again, these refer to EURATOM requirements but these aspects are similarly covered in the UK by other organisations.The situation after exiting the EU depends on any agreements reached but is likely that the other Government agencies mentioned above will continue to be responsible for those aspects currently covered by the EURATOM legislation.

Department for International Development

UNRWA: Finance

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of refugees who will be affected by the decision of the government of the United States to withdraw funding for the UN Relief Works Agency; and what specific services and aid they expect will be affected.

lord bates: The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) provides essential services to over 5 million Palestinian refugees across the region. My officials are working closely with UNRWA, the United States and other European Union partners to understand risks to UNRWA’s sustainability and how to maintain continuity of key services such as education and health for Palestinian refugees. The UK is concerned at the impact on UNRWA’s activities whenever unexpected reductions or delays in predicted donor disbursements occur and are liaising with UNRWA on their plans for service continuity. UNRWA has publically stated their determination to continue services in all their fields of operations.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Travellers

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 15 January (HL Deb, col 432), how many young people from gypsy and traveller families have taken up apprenticeships in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those people have accessed support provided for those with learning disabilities.

lord agnew of oulton: The table (attached) provides the number of apprenticeship starts by Gypsy and Irish Traveller learners in each academic year from 2011, with breakdowns of age and learning difficulty and/or disability.Further breakdowns and demographic information is available in our apprenticeship demographic pivot table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/669034/201617_apprenticeships_detailed_demographic_tool_by_sector_subject_area.xlsx.We cannot identify learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who have accessed support from the Individualised Learning Record. However, we want to ensure apprenticeship opportunities are open to people with disabilities. This includes recognising Education, Health and Care Plans in our funding and English and maths policies, and providing extra payments to training providers where an apprentice requires further learning support. Access to Work funding is also available from the Department for Work and Pensions to support adjustments apprentices may need in the workplace.



Apprenticeship starts by age
(PDF Document, 25.9 KB)

Design and Technology: GCSE

lord baker of dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government, given their commitment to improving technical education, what steps they will take to arrest the decline in the number of students taking GCSEs in Design and Technology.

lord agnew of oulton: Design and technology is an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The Department have reformed the design and technology curriculum for GCSEs and A levels, with input from key organisations such as the James Dyson Foundation. This will align qualifications with high-tech industry practice and support students to progress into further study and employment. The new curriculum and qualifications have been updated with a strong focus on iterative design processes, which are at the core of contemporary practice. The new design and technology curriculum was introduced in 2014, and the GCSE and A level introduced in September 2017 with the first examinations in 2019. The Department continue to provide bursaries of up to £12,000 to attract more graduates into design and technology teaching.

Apprentices: Contracts

baroness golding: To ask Her Majesty's Government how non-levy apprenticeship contracts are awarded; and who within the Education and Skills Funding Agency is responsible for makingsuch awards.

lord agnew of oulton: In July 2017, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) launched a procurement process, which established a network of contractors who will delivery apprenticeship training to employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy. This was in accordance with its general obligations under the Public Contracts Regulation 2015. A dedicated team at the ESFA implemented and managed the procurement process. Contracts were then awarded by the ESFA’s Chief Executive, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, to the providers who were successful under the terms of the procurement.

Academies: Standards

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what shortcomings, if any, they have identified with the performance of multi-academy trusts; what are the oversight arrangements for governance and public accountability; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which those arrangements are adequate and fit for purpose.

lord agnew of oulton: Academy trusts are held to account through a Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State and bound by both company and charity law.The department publishes statistics on the performance of schools in multi-academy trusts on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/multi-academy-trust-performance-measures-2015-to-2016, and in the ‘Academy Schools Sector in England’, attached.Academy trusts are required to submit audited accounts on an annual basis. The auditors are required to express a view on the financial health of a trust and to produce a public management letter summarising their audit.The primary responsibility for the oversight of trusts rests with the trustees themselves. Regional Schools Commissioners act on behalf of the Secretary of State, and continually review the performance of all of the multi-academy trusts in their region, working closely with the Education and Skills Funding Agency who have oversight of financial performance and governance. Where concerns are identified, the department acts swiftly and robustly to address these.Further information on the oversight arrangements for academy trusts is set out in ‘Multi-academy trusts: Government Response to the Committee’s Seventh Report of Session 2016–17’, which is attached.We continuously review the adequacy of oversight arrangements.



Attachment 1
(PDF Document, 878.04 KB)




Attachment 2
(PDF Document, 248.11 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Immigration: Legal Profession

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there is a sufficient number of qualified immigration lawyers to meet present demands.

lord keen of elie: Whilst the Government recognises that it is important that there are enough immigration lawyers to meet demand, the legal services sector is rightly independent of government and the training of new lawyers is a matter for the legal services regulators and profession itself. I can confirm the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority has indicated that there are currently 1,885 out of some 10,400 recognised law firms that have a proportion of their work in immigration.

Prisons: Health Services

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions have taken place between the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Care concerning the provision of adequate healthcare in prisons followingrecent reports.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, and their agencies, work in close partnership to oversee the commissioning and delivery of healthcare in prisons. The National Partnership Agreement for the collaborative commissioning and delivery of healthcare services in prisons in England enables joint working and discussions between departments for the effective oversight of prison healthcare services. This agreement between the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, NHS England and Public Health England, sets out the shared strategic intent and joint commitments in the commissioning, enabling and delivery of healthcare services in adult prisons. The current agreement is subject to review and an updated version will be published in April 2018.

Prisoners: Mental Illness

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is given to prison officers regarding mental illness amongst inmates.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to ensuring that Prison Officers receive the appropriate training to support prisoners with mental health needs. The Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) course, delivered to new Prison Officers, includes modules on mental health and personality disorders. The ‘Introduction to Mental Health’ module covers the most prevalent mental health issues in prison including anxiety states, depression, bi-polar disorder, psychosis and schizophrenia, and personality disorders. The session also covers how an officer can support prisoners with different disorders. The mental health awareness module forms part of the revised “Introduction to Suicide and Self-Harm (SaSH) Prevention” training package. This training is being delivered to all new and existing Prison Officers, as well as HMPPS and non-HMPPS staff who are in contact with prisoners. Between April 2017 and January 2018 more than 14,300 staff have been trained in at least one of the six SaSH modules, and over 6,800 staff have completed the training in full. With specific reference to the mental health training module, internal figures show that over 7,000 new and existing staff have completed the module. Alongside this, a Suicide Prevention Learning Tool has been developed in partnership with Samaritans. This tool communicates important messages to identify and support prisoners at risk. Some prisons continue to deliver locally devised mental health training packages, often in conjunction with the local healthcare provider.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Flats: Safety

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they plan to take to protect leaseholders from being required by freeholders to pay excessively large sums for remedial work to ensure the safety of multi-storey housing accommodation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Secretary of State announced on 4 December that the department is providing additional funding to the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), an arm’s length body which provides free initial legal advice to leaseholders, to advise on fire safety issues.Just as social landlords are not seeking to pass on costs for cladding remediation, in the private sector we believe that the morally right thing to do is for landlords to not pass these costs onto leaseholders.The Department is keeping the situation under review.

Housing: Design

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for Homes England to take account of the importance of high standards of design quality when making its decisions.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is committed to raising design quality through policy and programmes. The forthcoming Design Conference scheduled for April 2018 will provide an opportunity to bring together all key Government departments, Government agencies, local government and architects to showcase how well designed housing can be delivered.Homes England will have a key role in delivering this agenda through their programmes, including in the Garden Town and Villages programme.

Planning

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the revised National Planning Policy Framework, placing a stronger emphasis on design quality; whether copies of the Framework will be placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament; and what plans they have for the revised text to give account to the importance of place-making.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The draft revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will be published for consultation in early 2018. After the consultation period has closed, we will review the responses and publish a final revised version of the NPPF. Copies of the final published NPPF will be available in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.The Government is committed to ensuring the planning system supports the delivery of more homes where they are needed, and that these homes are well designed and high quality. The revised NPPF will reflect the proposals in last February's White Paper, 'Fixing our Broken Housing Market', to improve the quality of design.

Housing: Construction

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on their housebuilding programme of the announcement by the Federation of Master Builders that two-thirds of SME construction companies in London are struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We need an industry that has the right skills to build more homes, including in new and innovative ways. Industry needs to take responsibility for ensuring that it has a sustainable supply chain, working with contractors to address skills requirements. As we leave the EU, there is an opportunity to invest in the workforce.In the Housing White Paper, 'Fixing our broken housing market', the Government has set out its plans to help the construction sector ensure that it has the workforce it needs. We are reforming the Construction Industry Training Board so that it delivers the skills and technical education industry needs. This includes more workplace experience and simplification of the path to qualification. A new £34 million fund, administered by the Department for Education, will support and incentivise innovative and employer-led approaches to construction training.In my own department, we are encouraging greater use of Modern Methods of Construction to increase productivity in housebuilding and reduce our reliance on traditional building skills. We are providing financial support through the Home Building Fund and working with lenders to overcome their concerns. We will ensure that our stakeholders have the opportunity to put their concerns about a future migration model to the Home Office.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

the earl of kinnoull: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of their Brexit negotiating strategy, they are seeking to ensure that during the transition period following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU all current trading terms will continue to apply for UK business trading with the EU27; and whether they intend to offer such reciprocal obligations on the UK as would be required to enable this to happen.

lord callanan: We have proposed an implementation period, based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations. During this period the UK’s and the EU’s access to each other’s markets will continue on current terms. It is in the interests of both the UK and the EU to agree the terms of this period as quickly as possible, in order to provide vital certainty to businesses and citizens. We are confident that there is broad agreement between the UK and EU positions on the implementation period, and that we will come to an agreement by March.

Brexit

the earl of kinnoull: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of their Brexit negotiating strategy, they intend UK products to be treated, during the transition period, as EU content for the purposes of (1) EU regulatory structures, and (2) trade agreements held by the EU with other countries.

lord callanan: The EU and UK have both said that EU rules and regulations should continue to apply during the implementation period. During this strictly time-limited implementation period, the UK and the EU would continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms, and the UK would take part in existing security measures. In the Implementation Period, the UK will take steps to pave the way for the UK’s independent trade policy after we exit. As such, we will be able to negotiate our own free trade agreements, although we would not bring them into effect until after the implementation period has concluded. The government is committed to seeking continuity during the Implementation Period in its current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU Free Trade Agreements or other EU preferential arrangements.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Ivory: Sales

lord crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the potential loss of value that will be experienced by UK owners of legitimately acquired sculpted ivory as a result of the proposed ban on the sale of such items; and what plansthey have to compensate the owners of such items for any loss of value which they experience.

lord gardiner of kimble: Through our public consultation we have sought views and evidence on the effect of the proposed ban on UK ivory sales, including on those individuals who own ivory; how the ban could be enforced; and the proposed scope of carefully targeted exemptions. The consultation invited views on a possible exemption for items of genuine artistic, cultural or historic value. Items in this category could be exempted from a ban because their value lies in their artistry, cultural significance or historic provenance, as opposed to their ivory content. The consultation made clear that any exemption of this kind would need to be strictly defined to include only the rarest and most important items. The consultation ended on 29 December 2017 and responses are currently being analysed, including any evidence provided on these issues. This analysis will inform our policy development and we will publish a response shortly. Until these results are analysed, the department has not arrived at a view concerning compensation.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current permanent establishment of staff in the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and what was the previous establishment for each of the last five years.

lord gardiner of kimble: The headcount and FTE breakdown as at 31 December for each year is shown in the table below. YearHeadcount FTE201735353384201618081737201519061828201421272047201322472158 This answer covers core Defra only. The figures in the table are not comparable year to year, as they reflect the movement of staff into core Defra from other organisations in the Defra group. For example, as part of the corporate services transformation project around 1000 staff have joined core Defra from other organisations in the Defra group in the last 12 months. Changes from year to year therefore cannot be taken as net changes to staff numbers overall. We continue to keep our resourcing plans under review, focusing both on recruitment and increasing the capability of new and existing staff.

Roads: Litter

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 22 January (HL4503), when they expect to receive the results of the independent assessment by Keep Britain Tidy of the cleanliness of trunk roads maintained by Highways England and of litter collection by local councils.

lord gardiner of kimble: Surveying is about to be undertaken, and we expect the outcome of the assessment to be available later this year.

Fisheries

lord watts: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the loss of foreign catching rights will have on the British fish processing industry after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: On leaving the EU, the UK will become an independent coastal state with responsibility for controlling and managing our Exclusive Economic Zone. This will provide an opportunity to reach new agreements on access and quota arrangements. To meet consumer choice and demand, the vast majority of fish used by UK processors, primarily white fish (cod and pollack), warm and cold water shrimps and prawns and tuna is imported from outside of the EU. The UK will be able to decide what tariffs to apply to imports after leaving the EU. Further details on the UK’s trade in fish products can be found in the Marine Management Organisations UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics

Home Office

Asylum: EU Law

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of requests made in 2016 to other EU member states for the transfer of those claiming asylum in the UK who were believed to have first arrived in theEU in another EU member state, in line with EU Regulation 604/2013; to which states the requests were made;and how many transfers actually took place.

baroness williams of trafford: The EU Regulation 604/2013 (Dublin III Regulation) is a long-standing mechanism between EU Member States to determine responsibility for examining asylum claims. It is not an application route for transfer to the UK. Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, regularly publishes Member State figures, the latest release of which can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_quarterly_reportOutgoing requests can be found at:http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=migr_dubro&lang=enThe list of transfers is available at:http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=migr_dubto&lang=en

HM Treasury

Public Expenditure

lord macpherson of earl's court: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 21 March 2017 (HL5881), whether they will publish an updated table including (1) pensions, (2) health, and (3) total managed expenditure, for 2016–17.

lord bates: The requested information is in the table:  1978-791996-972009-102015-162016-17(1) National insurance-funded pensions (£billion) (1)7.632.066.889.391.5as a percentage of Total Managed Expenditure9.5%9.9%9.6%11.8%11.9%  (2) UK Health Expenditure (£billion) (2)7.842.8116.9138.5144.3as a percentage of Total Managed Expenditure9.8%13.2%16.9%18.4%18.7%  Total Managed Expenditure (£billion) (3)79.7323.9693.1753.9770.6  Data Sources: (1) Benefit expenditure and caseload tables published by the Department of Work and Pensions. Figures for National insurance-funded pensions have been provided in line with the request in the initial PQ referred to. (2) Table 4.2 of Public Expenditure and Statistical Analyses 2017 published by HM Treasury, and the equivalent table for 1978-79 data. (3) Data published by the Office for National Statistics consistent with the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2017.

Credit Cards: Fraud

lord steel of aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to have discussions with the major banks about the use of contactless credit cards for sums under £30 and the ease with which such cards might be misused.

lord bates: Treasury ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. This includes regular meetings with consumer organisations to discuss relevant regulatory issues, including consumer protection on payment instruments.Government takes all fraud extremely seriously. In February 2016 the government set up the Joint Fraud Taskforce, which aims to use the collective powers, systems and resources of banks, payment providers, police, wider law enforcement and regulators to tackle fraud, and raise awareness of the risk of fraud among consumers.The Taskforce is currently focused on: developing a national fraud prevention campaign to provide targeted advice to the public; improving the police response to fraud at national, regional and local level; exploring ways in which more victims of fraud can have their losses repaid; removing vulnerabilities fraudsters exploit to commit certain types of fraud; and, improving support for victims of fraud which will ensure a consistent response including for those who may be more vulnerable or susceptible to fraud.Industry statistics received from Financial Fraud Action UK indicate that in the first half of 2016 there were £2.9 million losses attributed to fraud on contactless cards compared to a spend of £9.27 billion. This is just 0.031% of spending on contactless technology. According to the industry, fraud on contactless cards accounts for less than 1% of card fraud losses.

Cash Dispensing: Rural Areas

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that rural communities in the UK have adequate access to free-to-use cash machines now and in the future.

lord bates: The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK, including in rural communities. Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with industry, to ensure that widespread free access is maintained. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up as an independent regulator in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users, is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing work on the impact that changes may have. The PSR has recently published a summary of their work to date, which can be found at https://www.psr.org.uk/psr-focus/the-UK-ATM-network. The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives. LINK, the main scheme behind the UK’s ATM network, has assured us and the PSR that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intends to bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and has also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.

Exchange Rates

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the performance of sterling in the last 12 months, in comparison to the dollar, the euro and the yen.

lord bates: The UK has an inflation target, not an exchange rate target, and the government does not express a view on the level of the exchange rate. The value of sterling adjusts flexibly in response to economic conditions and market forces.

Cabinet Office

Ethnic Groups: Equality

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action plans are in place to address the inequality deficiencies identified in the Race Disparity Audit; and what arrangements are in place to review and monitor developments and progress.

lord young of cookham: The Government has made a commitment to explain or change key ethnic disparities highlighted by the Race Disparity Audit in the Ethnicity facts and figures website. The Government has launched an initial programme of work to tackle some of the disparities highlighted, including targeted action in employment areas, a review of school exclusions and a commitment to take forward a number of recommendations in the recent Lammy Review of the criminal justice system. Detailed analytical work and engagement with external partners is underway across Departments to bring forward further data driven policies to tackle disparities highlighted by the Audit and will be announced in due course. The Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the progress of the Government’s response to the Audit overseen by the Cabinet Office and the Race Disparity Inter-Ministerial Group.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they intend to take to address the findings of theNational Audit Office report Implementing the UK's Exit from the European Union: The Department for International Trade,published on 25 January.

baroness fairhead: The Department for International Trade welcomes the National Audit Office’s report, which found that DIT was implementing delivery plans for its priority EU Exit work streams in line with the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) guidance, and we will continue to work closely with DExEU to deliver them.